Companies including Waitrose, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline and Reckitt Benckiser will be encouraged to further their links to emerging economies.

Justine Greening, Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID), will set out her plans on Monday for removing barriers to trade and helping UK businesses join the 'push’ for development in selected countries.

In a speech at the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Ms Greening will say that she wants to work across Government - bringing in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign Office - and with business to drive economic growth in developing countries.

As part of her speech, she will outline plans to undertake a piece of research with the CBI, the business lobby group, to understand what could help business export more successfully.

The CBI will arrange a round-table discussion with the director general, John Cridland, Ms Greening and major business leaders later in the spring as part of the work, with a report expected to be published later in the year.

“DFID will work not just across government with the Business Department and the Foreign Office, “ Ms Greening will say.

“For the first time we will be teaming up with the CBI, industry and others to see how we can help UK businesses make a difference for developing countries.” The speech is expected to name companies including Unilever and Waitrose.

The barriers to more successful exports Ms Greening will refer to include tax regimes, stability of business environment, as well as infrastructure and logistical support.

Sources pointed to the Government’s existing work with British mining companies in Afghanistan, including a drinks reception at Number 10 Downing Street last Wednesday evening, attended by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, and Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines.

DFID has announced a new £10m, three year programme to support the Ministry of Mines’ work to negotiate, let, manage and monitor contracts, as well as the appointment of a dedicated UKTI expert to helped UK companies source investment opportunities in the country.

Those same sources however denied newspaper reports over the weekend that Ms Greening would use the LSE speech to say that part of the Governments £11bn aid budget will be channelled through companies rather than direct to countries.

A DFID spokesman said: “DFID will ramp up work with businesses to remove the hurdles to responsible investment in the developing world.”

The Telegraph Investor

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